Pitt gets Syracuse at Acrisure Stadium on Thursday night with both teams trying to put an early-season stamp on things, and the matchup brings together two programs that know each other extremely well. The Panthers are aiming for 3-0, while the Orange arrive at 1-1 after opening ACC play with a loss.
This one kicks at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN, with Pitt and Syracuse renewing a series that has run every season since 1955. Pitt leads the all-time meeting 45-33-3, and the last time these teams met, Pitt rolled 30-13 on October 18, 2025.
Syracuse comes in under Fran Brown, now in his third season with a 14-13 record. Jeff Nixon handles the offense, Vince Kehres coordinates the defense, and the Orange have some clear strengths on paper.
They’re 33rd nationally in total offense at 475.5 yards per game and 30th in scoring at 42 points per game. The passing game has been the bigger piece of the puzzle, ranking 28th with 297 passing yards per game, while the defense has been solid across the board, sitting 12th in total defense and 22nd in points allowed.
The quarterback situation has centered on Steve Angeli, who has thrown for 570 yards and four touchdowns against three interceptions while completing 55.7% of his passes. On the ground, Tylik Hill has led the way with 147 rushing yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. Out wide, Umari Hatcher has been the top target with 14 catches for 224 yards and two CDs.
Syracuse also brings some defensive production into the night. Chris D'Appolonia and Braheem Long are tied for the team lead with 13 tackles apiece, Keyshawn Johnson has 2.5 sacks, and Rashard Perry has one interception.
The Orange’s season has already shown both promise and frustration. Fran Brown’s arrival ahead of the 2024 season brought a clear jolt, and Syracuse went 9-3 before finishing with a Holiday Bowl win and its first 10-win season in a while. But the momentum didn’t carry over, and last year’s 3-9 record was a step back, fueled in part by an injury to Angeli after he had flashed promise last September.
There’s still optimism around Angeli now that he’s back, especially with Syracuse’s collection of athletic receivers. Hatcher and Justus Ross-Simmons are both big-bodied wideouts who can stretch the field, and the Orange have leaned on a four-man rotation in the backfield as they try to find steadiness in the run game. Hill has been the most effective option so far, and he added some burst with a 56-yard run last week.
Defensively, Syracuse has talent at every level. Cornerback Desmetres Samuel and linebacker Antoine Deslauriers are second-year players who showed plenty as freshmen, and Brown has also used the transfer portal to patch holes and add plug-and-play help on that side of the ball.
Still, last week exposed a few soft spots. Syracuse lost at home to Cal, 21-18, after building a 12-0 lead and failing to finish the job.
Angeli threw for 300 yards but completed fewer than half his passes, and three second-half interceptions - including a pick-six - swung the game the Bears’ way. The Orange also missed two field goals in the fourth quarter, including a 31-yarder that would have made it a seven-point game and a 46-yarder that would have tied it with 1:47 left.
Add in 14 penalties for 110 yards, and it was a messy finish.
For Pitt, the challenge starts up front. Syracuse’s size at receiver is obvious, with Hatcher, Ross-Simmons and Cole Weaver all listed at 6-3, while tight ends David Clement at 6-6 and Daunte Bacheyie at 6-5 give Angeli even more big targets. The Panthers’ front seven will need to make life uncomfortable for the quarterback and throw off the timing before Syracuse can start isolating those matchups outside.
There’s also the North Shore factor. Acrisure Stadium, which opened in 2001, has not often been kind to Syracuse. The Orange did win in the inaugural season at Pitt’s current home, but the Panthers have taken 11 straight there against their longtime rivals.
In Other News...
Pitt's 2027 Home Slate Just Added Real Intrigue Early
Pitts 2027 football calendar is already shaping up to be one of the more interesting home slates the program has seen in a while. The Atlantic Coast Conference released its schedule, confirming a nine-game league lineup with five games at Acrisure Stadium and four on the road, and the Panthers nonconference schedule will also carry plenty of attention with Wisconsin in Ireland, Western Michigan and UConn all on the docket.
The home ACC slate stands out because it brings some fresh matchups into the mix, including first-time visits from Wake Forest and SMU. Add in the usual conference rivals, and Pitt will have a schedule that blends familiarity with some new wrinkles, the kind that can make an early-year home stretch feel especially important once the season starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Pitt Offense Suddenly Has A Syracuse Problem Fans Will Notice
Pitts offense heads into its matchup with Syracuse already dealing with a shorter bench and a few uneasy health updates. The Panthers final availability report lists starting running back JaKyrian Turner as a game-time decision, while wide receiver Malik Knight has been ruled out, adding to a group of unavailable players that also includes Synkwan Smith, Rodney Dunbar, Max Hunt, Josh Nindl, Ben Kaufman and Nigel Maynard.
Turner had already missed the previous game against UCF, and Knight departed that contest early because of injury, so the Panthers have spent the week trying to piece together answers on offense. With Syracuse next on the schedule, Pitt now has to wait until closer to kickoff to find out whether its backfield gets a key starter back or whether the available options will have to carry the load again. [Read more 🡒]
Pitt Just Proved Its Unbeaten Start Is Built To Last
Pitts unbeaten start kept rolling Saturday in a 27-13 win over Syracuse, a result that pushed the Panthers to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in ACC play. Damon Ferguson Jr., La'Vell Wright and Mason Heintschel each found the end zone on the ground, giving Pittsburgh a balanced enough offense to keep control while Pat Narduzzi added another milestone with his school-record 144th win.
The larger takeaway for Pitt is not just the record, but the way it is winning early in the season. Syracuse had trouble with penalties and shuffled quarterbacks as the game wore on, and the Panthers were able to stay composed through it all. As the schedule gets tougher, the question now is whether Pittsburghs run game and steadiness can keep carrying a start that is beginning to look sustainable. [Read more 🡒]